Sir, - Sean Moran's article ("If it's bad for Dublin, it's bad for GAA", June 30th) just beggars belief. The thrust of his argument, he claims, is that "Dublin's arrival in the mid-1970s did give the GAA a nationwide profile". Poppycock.
Is he ignorant of the fact that Dublin had contested All-Ireland hurling and football finals during the half-decade before the 1970s and won titles in both codes? Has he ever heard of "Snitchy'; Ferguson, the Foley brothers, the Timmons brothers? Does he know that Kevin Heffernan won an All-Ireland medal as a player long before "Dublin's arrival in the mid 1970s".
He states that Dublin's presence in big matches has always generated big attendances. Yet Dublin never contested a final watched by over 80,000 as Cork and Wexford did in the mid 1950s or over 90,000 as Down did against Kerry in 1960 and against Offaly in 1961.
Dublin had good teams in that period but they've never had hurlers of the magnitude of Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard or footballers as graceful as Mick O'Connell and as exciting as the McCartans, Paddy Doherty or Sean O'Neill.
In recent years the success of Clare, Wexford and, to a lesser extent, Leitrim, Kildare and Waterford has truly given the GAA a nationwide profile. Is Mr Moran suggesting that these counties are not as well supported as Dublin?
Sadly, the main contribution the Dublin footballers of the 1970s made - the hard man approach - is still having an adverse effect on the game. Dublin were first to employ it - ask Mickey O'Sullivan - Meath took it a step further and Cork and the northern counties developed their own hard men and won All-Irelands, just as Dublin did.
The positive side to this is that people now realise what a wonderful game hurling is and the brilliant matches of this and the past few summers have mesmerized viewers in all counties and enthralled those fortunate enough to get tickets for the games.
Dublin has played a very minor role in this but the GAA is laughing all the way to the bank! - Yours, etc.,
Tim Horgan, Dillon's Cross, Cork.